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I have been worried about this trend: if they don't open it up, things like this introduce a disparity between startups that can only have access to GPUs and bi

by cft 9y ago

I have been worried about this trend: if they don't open it up, things like this introduce a disparity between startups that can only have access to GPUs and big companies that make their own proprietary ASICs for their proprietary software, such that startups cannot complete.

spott 9y ago
The flip side is that there is pretty obviously a market for such a product. If it isn't released by google or apple, it will be released by someone else. If it isn't, then that is a pretty good idea for a startup.
- cft 9y ago
  Only well funded startups will make ASICs.And most of them will fail. This is very different from many small startups programming general purpose computers.
  - asimpletune 9y ago
    So then maybe the key is a start up that's in the business of raising the chance of success that other players having in this endeavor?
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
elefanten 9y ago
Won't it likely be in their interest to make those capabilities open to 3rd parties? My guess: the platforms that don't will suffer in experience.
- cft 9y ago
  What about the server side? Google executing Tensorflow on ASICs versus a startup restricted to GPUs or Google Cloud/TPUs?
saidajigumi 9y ago
It's weird to me that you somehow assume no chip makers will move into the market for mobile-ready AI processors, if this really becomes a thing. Apple certainly won't open up its designs, assuming they exist and ship. There's strongly negative incentive and cultural inclination for them to become a chip vendor.
cbhl 9y ago
This disparity has always existed, though. Big companies can throw money at things that start-ups can't. So you rent or borrow from a bigger company while you can (Cloud TPUs), or your specialize in doing things that big companies with inflexible purpose-built hardware can't.
bluGill 9y ago
The big companies can make their own. The next smaller companies will gather together and create a company (this is essentially how ARM started) to create one chip that works for all.

by cft 9y ago

spott 9y ago

The flip side is that there is pretty obviously a market for such a product. If it isn't released by google or apple, it will be released by someone else. If it isn't, then that is a pretty good idea for a startup.

cft 9y ago
Only well funded startups will make ASICs.And most of them will fail. This is very different from many small startups programming general purpose computers.
- asimpletune 9y ago
  So then maybe the key is a start up that's in the business of raising the chance of success that other players having in this endeavor?
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]

elefanten 9y ago

Won't it likely be in their interest to make those capabilities open to 3rd parties? My guess: the platforms that don't will suffer in experience.

cft 9y ago
What about the server side? Google executing Tensorflow on ASICs versus a startup restricted to GPUs or Google Cloud/TPUs?

saidajigumi 9y ago

It's weird to me that you somehow assume no chip makers will move into the market for mobile-ready AI processors, if this really becomes a thing. Apple certainly won't open up its designs, assuming they exist and ship. There's strongly negative incentive and cultural inclination for them to become a chip vendor.

cbhl 9y ago

This disparity has always existed, though. Big companies can throw money at things that start-ups can't. So you rent or borrow from a bigger company while you can (Cloud TPUs), or your specialize in doing things that big companies with inflexible purpose-built hardware can't.

bluGill 9y ago

The big companies can make their own. The next smaller companies will gather together and create a company (this is essentially how ARM started) to create one chip that works for all.